Dubai by night, dreams of home that workers hold, cherish every new day

A light show and fireworks illuminate the Burj Khalifa, the world's tallest building, during New Year's Eve celebrations in Dubai on January 1, 2025. [AFP]

"Does Kenya neighbour Senegal? Is Usain Bolt Kenyan?" These questions are delivered in soft cadences as the driver of the sleek, black sedan glides on the smooth stretches of tarmac. His name is Ustadh, a Nepalese who is in Dubai, "just for work."

There is an edgy testiness to the way he spits out "just for work," even though he has been in Dubai for 12 years. It reveals both alienation and dislocation.